Destined: The Six

22. Licia the Spider Lady

          "Uh...Flora?" Heather asked with trepidation. The lights on Flora's magic patio went out, making the jungle around her seem more terrifying. The jungle also seemed to close in on her. "Heather..." Heather heard the jungle moan. She really wanted to wake up. If only she had those ruby slippers.

          Then Castle's smoky shape came into view, right out of where the jungle had grabbed Flora, making Heather jump. "Hello, young Destined," The smoky Castle greeted. Heather was having none of it. "Why are you here, Castle? I suppose you've come to tell me about the next guardian of the pylons--the one we're heading to?" 

          Castle raised his hand up. The jungle behind him started to rumble. Heather's initial moxie was beginning to fade. Out of the jungle came a spider leg. Another one, then another, et cetera. A woman, with four spider legs and four normal human limbs was soon standing next to Castle. "This is Licia," Castle introduced.

          Licia, aside from the four extra spider limbs, was almost human. She wore a brown robe, sort of like from some sort of science fiction movie. Her other limbs, at least from which Heather could see, were human. Licia's face had six extra eyes, but aside from that, she could pass as a normal person.

          Licia looked at Heather disapprovingly. "This is the vermin you wish for me to defeat? it won't be a challenge," The spider woman said. Her voice was a lot more human than Heather assumed, but one could hear hissing in the background of her speech. Heather got straight to the chase. "What is your hint? I remember Jeremiah saying something about a hint. Tell it to me," she demanded.

          "Oh, yes, of course. Not none, but many strings attached," Licia told her. Heather wan't even sure whether or not that was cryptic. "Strings? Are we doing a puppet show?" she asked, trying to keep her cool. Licia was really creepy. At least her name isn't as long as Scorpionem's, Heather thought. "So," Castle interrupted. "You know where to go, correct?"

          Heather thought, but she didn't know. "No, I don't," she answered. They hadn't gone to Eden to ask for the next location yet. Castle laughed. "Liar, you already know," he laughed. "It's right where you resided before this war of sorts. Iowa, was it? Yes, the pylon is right on your family's property. It's astonishing your father never found it."

          The way Castle said that implied that Heather's father did know, but he was just keeping it from the rest of the family. Heather didn't have time to mind that, though, because Castle just told her where the next pylon was. "Thanks, Castle," she thanked. "See you later." Heather tried to fade out of the dream and re-enter the real world, but Licia grabbed her by the hem of her shirt. "You're not going anywhere," she said. "First, I've got to tell you. If you tell anyone else the hint, I will end you. I bind your tongue with secrets." Licia said that last part like she was reciting an oath or something.

          Immediately, Heather could feel the effects of whatever Licia had just done. her tongue felt heavier. "What did you just do?" Heather demanded. 

          "Oh, I've bound your tongue with secrets. You see, there are two bindings in this world, the promise and the secret. A promise is a true statement that you must fulfill. If you truly promise, it is something you cannot break. The secret is a binding that makes you unable to tell a certain thing, such as my hint. If you try, you will die."

          Heather kept all of this in her mind. "May I go now?" she asked, realizing that Licia's eyes were really hypnotic. Licia sighed. "Fine. wake up, young Destined." 

          Heather snapped awake in her bed. She immediately checked the room for spiders. When she saw one, she killed it, under the assumption that they were spies for Licia(Like that one hanging behind you). Heather got ready for the day, remembering to tell the other Destined the next pylon's location.

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          Jeremiah had a dream that Britney Spears was actually a human-sized, knife-wielding gummy bear from the Illuminati. She chased him all over San Francisco while singing "Womanizer" and threatening him with her knife. Periodically, Jeremiah would run into a wall, say "Ow" in a surfer dude accent, then turn around and keep running.

          Certain that that was by far the weirdest dream that he had ever had, Jeremiah woke up. After he heard a knock on his door, he opened it slowly, as this was just the same as how his dream had begun. If he saw Britney Spears in the doorway, he had his spear in his hand.

          But it was not Britney Spears. It was, in fact, Dylan. "Get dressed, man. It's 7 o'clock," He chided. 

         "You're not Britney Spears," Jeremiah said with relief. Dylan looked at him with confusion, but he just waved it off. "Be there in a moment."

          About a moment later, Jeremiah was ready for the day. Whether it be attempting to out-sew a spider woman or destroy some more metal monkeys, Jeremiah was ready to sew. Or destroy monkeys. Whatever happened, he was ready for it, that was for sure.

          Jeremiah's cabin was right next to the meal car. August had built the train so the guys didn't have to walk through the girls' cabins when going to eat, at the girls' request, of course. Dylan had also learned to cook the special food Eden had served them at the eerily large chamber, so they could have a little slice of their new home as they were doing heroic questing and such. 

          Jeremiah sat down at the park bench that August had built back in the eerily large chamber. They brought it along, as August was too lazy to make another one. 

          Once everyone had gathered, Heather spoke up. "Before we get our food, I have an announcement." August muttered something in Dylan's ear, and Dylan stifled a laugh. Heather shot them a look. "Listen, guys, I know where the next pylon is," she announced.

          "It's in Iowa," she told them. "Right on my family's property."